Executive Strategies for Integrating AI and Automation into the Business DNA
Executives have a never-ending list of responsibilities. Whether it’s the attraction and retention of incredible talent, or ensuring that operationally the business is running smoothly, the hats continue to change.
AI and Automation continue to shake up industries, whether it’s the rise of ChatGPT or Autonomous Vehicles, every industry has been impacted. On the whole, AI and Automation create space for positive change. Whether it’s improving employees' time management skills or simply making someone’s day-to-day working life easier, the majority of industries and organisations within them are open to AI and Automation adoption. However, simply being open to the benefits doesn’t necessarily mean that the adoption process is going to be smooth sailing.
We’ve spoken extensively about Digital Transformation and the difficulties that executives can face during the implementation process. In this article, we’re going to break down three key strategies that executives can use for the successful integration of AI and Automation technology into the businesses’ DNA.
Infrastructure Analysis
Integration doesn’t stop once new technologies have been installed or they feel embedded within a team. Particularly with AI and Automation, these technologies are constantly developing and evolving, and new iterations must undergo a process of adoption each time. Although infrastructure analysis is something that you would look to do before any kind of new adoption, it isn’t something that you should disregard as a maintenance strategy. Infrastructure analysis is defined as a process that logs data and events to help organisations best understand their operations and the impact that they have [source].
When looking at this through the lens of AI and Automation, it gives executives a measurement tool to see how much the new technology has been integrated into the business. For example, let’s say that you start using ChatGPT in your business. To implement ChatGPT initially, you conducted an infrastructure analysis as well as created a robust digital transformation process.
You educated all team members on how to use it and get the most out of it. But, 12 months have passed and you have no indication as to whether the implementation has actually been successful. The reality is, for integration into your business's DNA, you need to continuously measure and encourage the use of the AI/Automation technologies that you’re investing in.
Conducting an infrastructure analysis once a year, or even once every six months gives you the opportunity to do a metaphorical litmus test on that piece of technology. If the activity has suddenly dropped off, you need to investigate why.
Employee feedback
This is a tried and tested method that executives can rely on time and time again, and that’s a robust employee feedback strategy. Depending on the size of your business, most organisations rely on online feedback to collect employees' thoughts - but if you have the option to achieve high-quality feedback through sitting down and having face-to-face conversations, then you absolutely should. Understanding what is and isn’t working for your employees is crucial for an executive's success but also business success.
A lot of the time, anonymous surveys are a go-to, particularly in mid-sized businesses where some may not feel comfortable sharing their personal views. The key is the frequency at which you collect this feedback and also what you do with the feedback. For example, let’s say you run a quarterly survey which is specifically dedicated to technology adoption within the business.
The results show that 60% of people don’t feel confident in what they’re using or don’t feel adequately supported on how to get the most out of the piece of technology. The key isn’t just to collect the data, but also to craft a follow-up process that mitigates those pain points, and use the next survey as a way to test your efforts. Technology adoption, particularly automation, can feel daunting for a lot of people. Thus, resistance can occur, and you’ll only have insight into these resistances or anxieties if you have a way of measuring them.
Finally, less is more
It can be incredibly easy to get swept away with trends in the market and analyse what competitors are doing and think you have to keep up with them. Executives have to play a constant balancing act, not just with their responsibilities but also ensuring that there is balance across all areas of the business.
Too much technology can also be detrimental to the smooth running of an organisation. We aren’t made to rely on technology for every element of our jobs - nor should we have to.
The beauty of having people within an organisation is the opportunity to share ideas, a great marriage of minds who are all creative, intelligent, and motivated to contribute. If you build a business that rewards less effort due to technology doing the majority of the legwork, you create a culture that has a shell but no substance.
To successfully integrate AI and Automation technologies into your business you have to pick one or two things that work really well and focus on weaving those into the fabric of your organisation. Less is always more.
